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EULOGY, 



AT THE FUNERAL OF 



GENERAL GIDEON FOSTEE, 

DELIVERED IN THE UNITARIAN CHURCH, 

IN DANVERS, 
NOVEMBER 3d, 1845, 

BT 

DANIEL P. KING, 

Imrnm 



DANVERS : 

«. B. CABLTOK— COURIER PII£S9. 

1846. 



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Danvers, Nov. 3d, 1845. 
Dear Sir — ' 

At a Meeting of the Committee of Arrangements, appointed to conduct the 
Funeral Obsequies of the late General Gideon Foster, held immediately after the 
Funeral, it was 

Voted— That this Committee, in behalf of their fellow citizens, tender their 
thanks to Hon. Daniel P. King for his just and appropriate Eulogy on the character 
and services of the late Gen. Gideon Foster, and that he be respectfully requested 
to place a copy at the disposal of the Committee for publication. 
I remain, Dear Sir, 

Your obedient servant, 

Fitch Poo le, 
Sec. of Com. Arrangements. 
To Hon. Damiel P. King. 



Danvers, Nov. 4th, 1845. 
Dear Sir — 

In compliance with the request of the Committee of Arrangements, I place in 
your hands a copy of the Eulogy on Gen. Foster, and I very much regret that time 
was not allowed to prepare something more worthy of the worthy General. 

With my grateful acknowledgements to yourself and the Committee, I am very 
truly 

Your obedient servant, 

Daniel P. King. 
Fitch Poole, Esq., Sec. Com. Arrangements. 



EULOGY. 



In this house of God, where prayer is wont to be oflfered, 
where hymns of praise and anthems of thanksgiving are wont to 
be smig, what mean these plaintive dirges, these emblems of 
woe, this military array? This vacant seat and that funereal 
bier proclaim the mournful fact. A good citizen, a brave sol- 
dier, our neighbor and friend, a man venerable for his years, 
more venerable for his services and virtues, has passed away ; 
the spirit full of immortal longmgs, has taken its flight from its 
clay tenement shattered and bowed do-wn by the stoi-rla and 
tempests of almost a century of years ; the animating soul has 
fled, and left these frail relics of mortahty for us to drop the 
tear of soitow, to speak the words of sad remembrance, and to 
commit the honored dust to its last, peaceful resting place. 
The body and soul which for ninety-seven years have slept and 
waked together, and together have travelled the weary pilgrim- 
age of life, have at last parted company : — 

"Fond couple ; linked more close than wedded pair, 
This wing.s its way to its Almighty source, 
The witness of its actions, now its judge ; 
That drops into the cold and silent grave." 

How solemn is this place, how full of serious reflections, how 
eloquent is death ! It bepomes a cliild of earth to lay his hand 
on his mouth, to listen to the awful teachings of time and eterni- 
ty, to realize his own frailty and the certamty that he too must 
soon pass through the dark valley. Silence and meditation 
would better become us, but we owe a tribute of respect to this 
time-honored veteran : to those who are to come after us, we 
owe some memorial of departed valor and patriotism. 

It is meet that we should honor these poor remains with all 
becorauig obsequies; it is meet that we should mourn; for a 
good man, an ancient father, a captain and a leader of the peo- 
ple has fallen; but we should not weep immoderately: "he has 



4 MR. king's eulogy. 

come to his grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn corneth 
in his season" : "he lays his neck upon the lap of his mother 
earth, and lets his head down to be raised up in heaven," The 
solemn mourning, the timely du*ge, the measured tolling of the 
bells, the long procession, the mihtary escort and the fare-well 
volley, are due to venerable departed worth and valor ; all these, 
honored shade, with the enduruig monument and the sculptm-ed 
marble shall attest oui* respect for thy character, oui' gratitude 
for thy services. We will plant flowers and evergreens, and 
twine wreaths about thy tomb, and thy memory shall be cherished. 
His old friends and companions in arms, [a] Smith and Osborne, 
have lately been deposited in Hannony Grove ; it now receives 
a new treasure to its trust ; this is holy ground ; its consecrated 
silenc Anust never be disturbed by ci\il commotion or rude ^^o- 
lenceMliis soil, sacred to religion and patriotism, must never be 
traifiplcd upon by a despot, must never be watered by the tears 
of a slave. 

In this solemn solitude, the sympathising clouds dropping 
rain, amid fading grass, witheiing flowers and the fast falling 
leaves of a late autumn, we commit the remains of our friend to 
the grave, dust to dust, earth to earth, ashes to ashes — the fad- 
ed grass, the withered flowers, the fallen leaves shall mingle 
with the soil ; another sprmg shall animate these groves, and 
clothe with fresh verdure and new beauty these hills and vales; 
another winter shall despoil and make them desolate ; but a bet- 
ter spring aAvaits the soul of the good, a genial summer wliich 
fears no frosts of autumn and no chilling blasts of winter, but 
which shall bloom beautiful as the garden of God, blissful as 
heaven, lasting as eternity. 

General Foster has left no written memorial of himself. 
With the exception of his participation in the great struggle for 
our country's hberties, his life Avas too Ml of busy emplopnent 
and cheerful, but noiseless industry, to furnish much material 
for a biographer. 

Gideon Foster was bom in the house which formerly stood 
on the corner of Lowell and Foster streets, February 24th A. D. 
1749. His father, Gideon Foster was a native of Boxford ; 



MR. KING S EULOGY. 5 

his mother, Lydia Goldthwait, of this towi.[B] His early oppor- 
tunities of acquiring an education were few, but he diligently 
improved them. He wrote a handsome hand, was a correct 
draughtsman and an accurate and skilful surveyor. For several 
short periods he was employed in school keepmg, but the more 
pressing necessities of those days, and the moderate means of 
the people afforded but Httle time for literary improvement ; he 
however acquired a love for reading which accompanied Mm 
through life, and up to the time of liis death, he kept himself 
well informed of all passmg events of general mterest. He was 
a man of more than common mgenuity as well as mtelligence. 
As a mechanic, he had much skill ; the machinery of his mills 
was of his omi plannuig and construction, and many practical 
mechanics and manufacturers have derived important advanta- 
ges from his suggestions. 

Gen. Foster has always been honored and tmsted by his fel- 
loAv citizens, and in turn has discharged all the important muni- 
cipal offices of the town. For four years he was town clerk ; 
he was long an active magistrate of the County, and for nuie 
years a member of the State Legislature. 

In the militia of the Commonwealth he rendered good ser- 
vice, and you, soldiers, do well to honor his memory ; for he 
highly valued your pubhc spirit, and he considered the volunteer 
mihtary [c] the safest and best means of oui- national defence. 
In 1792 Capt. Foster was promoted to the rank of Colonel; in 
1796 he was chosen Brigadier General ; m 1801 he was elect- 
ed Major General by the Legislatm-e, in the House receiAing 
every vote, and in the Senate there being but one dissenting 
voice. 

When our country was threatened with invasion durmg the 
last war, he was chosen commander of a company of exempts, 
and many of us remember how well the worthy veteran filled the 
post of honor ; he never lost his military ardor, and to the last, 
the somid of the drum and trumpet was music to liis ear : mdeed 
for almost a whole century, there has been no day "^A-hen the 
sword of the old soldier would not have been drawn and a vigo- 
rous blow struck for the defence of his country's rights ; nurtur- 



6 MR. king's eulogy. 

ed in that school of patriotism which taught that oppositioii to 
tyrants is obedience to God, and -which inculcated love of coun- 
try next to love of heaven, his strong indignation was roused by 
any wrong done her or danger threatened. Liberty and love 
of coimtry were his early and abiding passion. His country's 
free institutions, good order, good laws andgood rulere were the 
objects of his strongest affections ; he not only loved them but 
he did what he was able, according to his judgment and under- 
standing to maintain and perpetuate them. No distance of 
place, no severity of the weather, no bodily infimiity, since the 
adoption of the constitution, now more than sixty years, has de- 
tamed him from depositmg his ballot for State Officers. 

General Foster, through his long life has been a man of great 
energy, enterprise and industry. Two disastrous fires had rob- 
bed him of wealth, but on his little fainn, with a Roman indepen^ 
dence and more than Roman virtue, his own hands have to the 
last, ministered to his necessities. The summer before the past, 
he mowed his o^Yn grass, and till the week before his death the 
implements of agricultui*e were his daily companions. He re- 
ceived for his setndces in the revolution a small pension, but in 
no degree adequate to his wants or proportioned to his merits. 

By his industry, regularity and temperance, with the blessing 
of heaven, his life has been protracted to the verge of a centm'y : 
by his honesty, never impeached; by liis sincerity and love of 
tnith, never questioned; by his services to indi\iduals and the 
public, and liis many virtues he has secured and preserved the 
love, confidence and respect of the three generations, the witnes- 
ses of his worth and the recipients of his benefactions. But he 
noAv rests from bis labors, and his wearied frame has at length 
found a quiet repose. 

The detail of the exploits of war and of the battle field are 
more appropriate to the page of history; this momnful occasion, 
and our brief time, forbid an extended narration of General Fos- 
ter's revolutionary services. 

Proximity to the French and Indians had taught the inhabi- 
tants of the colonies the necessity of being prepared for self de- 
fence ; they had suffered frequent and bloody experience in sav- 



MR. kino's eulogy. T 

age warfare, but the long continued oppression of the mother 
country made a more perfect organization of the miUtia necessa^ 
ry. In Massachusetts, then numbering less than three hundred 
thousand inhabitants, all males able to bear arms were em'olled, 
and were frequently drilled. More immment dangers and the 
threatenings of the enemy (one Regiment of whom were en- 
camped in this town for some months) to destroy the military 
stores of the Colony, caused the provincial congress to order a 
draft of minute men — men ready at a minute's warning to take 
the field and face the enemy. Of the company drafted here, 
Gideon Foster was chosen commander ; he was then twenty-sbc 
years of age, : liis company frequently assembled for exercise in 
arms, but the first time he led them to face the enemy was on 
Sunday, the 26th of Feb. 1775 — when Col. Leslie attempted 
to destroy some cannon which had been deposited in Salem, then 
concealed in Danvers. It had been said in the British parlia- 
ment, and often repeated, that two Regunents of British Reg- 
ulars could mai'ch from one end of the Colonies to the other, 
that "the Americans never felt bold," and that they would run 
from the first appearance of an armed foe. Here the fii-st war- 
like opposition was made to British aggression ; here the men 
of Salem and Danvers gave signal that they would fight and die 
if need be, for then- country. Col. Leslie did not effect his ob- 
ject ; but without a battle and covered ^ath mortification and 
shame he and his Regiment returned to Boston by the way of 
Marblehead. 

It is known to you, for the story is familiar as the names of 
the seasons, that on Wednesday, the 19th of Apiil, the day ev- 
er memorable for the battle of Lexington, Capt. Foster march- 
ed with his company sixteen miles in four ioui'S, to West Cam- 
bridge, where they met the retreating Britons ; it is known to 
you how bravely these youthful heroes fought, how nobly seven 
of the heroic citizens of this town sacrificed their fives for their 
country's liberty, [d] His prowess, coolness and intrepidity on 
that day, won for him high honor and imperishable fame. 

For more than eight months he commanded a company in 
Col. Mansfield's Regiment, in the anny encamped about Bos- 



8 MR. king's EULOCxY. 

ton. He was actively engaged on the 17th of June, the day of 
the battle of Bunker's hill, and ever while in the service, deserv- 
ed and bore the character of a brave officer and a good soldier. 

General Foster's mind always \dgorous, retained much of its 
strength iill within a few days of liis decease. So strong was 
his constitution and so regular his habits that his friends expect- 
ed for him many years of active hfe. His confinement was 
short, and it was not mitil the fatal hour that immediate danger 
was apprehended. He died on Saturday, Nov. 1st, 18-15. 

On all occasions his townsmen and neighbors have manifest- 
ed deep respect for his character and ser^dces. When it was 
knoAvn that he was no more, the bells were tolled, busmess was 
suspended and a gloom pervaded the coromunity ; there was a 
voluntary and general mourning ; the flag of our country was 
floating at half mast, a mournful token that one loved and honor- 
ed had passed away ; on one flag staff, wrapped among the stripes 
and the stars, was the pennon of the Foster Fire Company with 
the name of Gen. Foster blazoned upon it ; so are mingled with 
the fame of our country's revolutionary glory, the name and ex- 
ploits of the old soldier. 

Ten years ago, with due solemnities, an enduring monument 
was raised to the memory of our town's early mart}TS for their 
country's hberty. At the distance of sixty years from that 
memorable fight, which manifested to the world that raw militia- 
men could face and conquer hired veterans in the righteous bat- 
tles of then' country. Gen. Foster was present — the observed of 
all observers. He addressed the assembly, [e] and added solem- 
nity and a speaking reaUty to the occasion. On that anniversa- 
ry we Avere assembled, fellow citizens, in the very church where 
sixty years before, the mortal remauis of the heroic martyrs had 
received the last rites of sepulture ; nineteen surnvors of the 
Revolutionary army were then present, the li\dng witnesses of 
the valor of the departed. Gen. Foster full of life, and ener- 
gy and patriotism, was among them, yet then* leader and cap- 
tain ; his eye had not then grown dim, his hand had not forgot 
its cunning, Ids natural force was hardly abated, but they and 
he have now passed away ; ten more years have elapsed and the 



MR. king's EULOaY. 9 

last commissioned officer of the Revolution, certainly of the ear- 
ly part of the Revolution, is dead, and we have come to pay the 
last funeral honors to the veteran soldier ; the last connecting 
link is broken — tlie comrade of Warren and Prescott and Stark, 
the man who held official intercourse with Ward and Putnam 
and Washington, has now gone to join the mighty host of the 
worthy dead. 

"The bugle's wild and warlike blast 

Shall muster them no more ; 
An army now mitiht thunder past, 

And they not heed its roar. 

The starry flag, 'nenth which they fought, 

In many a bloody day, 
Fr<?m their old graves shall rouse them not, 

For they have passed away." 

We have seen and our children have seen and conversed with 
this worthy associate of departed valor and patriotism ; but we 
shall hear his voice and see his honored form no more. His 
memory shall live and his services and example shall be trans- 
mitted to coming generations. 

This old man lived and conversed with men who had lived 
and conversed ^^^.th the first settlers of the country ; many im- 
portant events which to us are the subjects of tradition or liisto- 
ry, to him were the subjects of observation or vivid recollection. 
Three entire generations, in his time, have come upon the stage, 
have acted their parts, and have passed away. How few of liis 
associates and contemporaries have left a name and memory 
more worthy to be cherished. 

Gen. Foster had a warm heart and a liberal hand ; accord- 
ing to his ability, he Avas ever prompt to relieve the wants of the 
suffi3ring ; he was the patron of all undertakings for the public 
good ; he was the friend of general education, and manifested 
his interest to the last by attendance at the examinations of our 
public schools ; he valued the means of education, because he 
knew that an enlightened intelhgence pervading the people is 
the surest protection and strongest guai'antee of our Uberties. 

The good old man, tlie brave soldier, the time-honored citizen 
is dead. We rejoice that he has lived so long ; that he has 
been a Viitness to the prosperity and independence of the coun- 

2 



10 MR. king's eulogy. 

try for which he fought, and for whose honor and welfare he hag 
always been solicitous. The good old man, having perfomed 
life's duties and borne hfe's cares is dead, and we have come, not 
to praise, but to bury him on the spot which he had'chosen. [f] 
But a few weeks ago, then m good health, he named the place 
to me and spoke of his approaclmig death mth the fortitude of 
a brave man and the resignation and hope of a confiding chris- 
tian ; he had no coward fears, no presumptuous, braggart boast- 
ings ; no gloomy apprehensions had shrouded the grave with su- 
pemmnerary horrors. We mourn for liis death, and we spnpa- 
thise Avith liis bereaved family ; but we mourn and they grieve 
not as those who have no hope, for we know that he shall live 
again, that this mortal shall put on immortality ; that the gi*eat 
conqueror shall himself be conquered, and death shall be^swal- 
lowed up in victory. 

This place is appropriate for these solemnities. Here this 
venerable man has been accustomed to stand up with the con- 
gregation and worship the God of liis fathers ; that corse now 
goes to join a more numerous congi'cgation, the mighty congre- 
gation of the dead. He was an officer of tliis chm-ch ; but a 
few sabbaths ago his trembUng hand bore to Ids brother com- 
municants the blessed symbols of the dying love of the redeem- 
er and saviom' of men ; he shall no more join in such services 
and solemnities on earth, but if true to his profession, who can 
doubt that he will jom the noble company of saints and martyrs 
and apostles in heaven ? if he loved his ascended Lord sincerely, 
who can doubt that he will drink with him the new wine, not of 
the commemoration of suifermg and death, but of everlasting joy 
in the Kmgdom of his Father ? Oui* venerated friend shaU in- 
deed no more unite Anth us in the prayers and songs of the sanc- 
tuary, but he will partake in nobler songs where there can be no 
discord, and in better services where there can be no imperfec- 
tion and no sm. 

With military escort, in mournful procession, we are now about 
to follow our departed friend to the grave, the house appointed 
for all the living ; in due time a suital)le monument will mark the 
;spot ; in all commg time, when the lovers of liberty and their 



MR. kino's eulogy. 11 

country shall make pilgrimages to this, and to the other proud 
monuments Avhich public gratitude has raised to the memory of 
heroic sacrifices and noble patriotism, may the remembrance of 
the duties and obligations of the liv-mg be ever present with a 
governing influence. To us is committed a sacred trust ; in the 
burning words of our Demosthenes, "this lovely land, this glc- 
rious liberty, these benign institutions, the dear purchase of our 
fathers are ours ; oui's to enjoy, ours to preserve, ours to trans- 
mit" — ^yes, soldiers and fellow citizens, they arc oui-s, ours to en- 
joy, to preserve, to transmit ; if we fail in our duty, if we neglect 
to [inculcate on the minds of the coming generations a love of 
country as well as a love of religion and a love of morahty, not 
only will the monuments we rear condemn us, not only the chis- 
eled granite and the pohshed marble, but the very rude stones 
of the streets will rise up in judgment against us. This late de- 
parted father, liis companions m arms and council have done their 
part ; by faitlifully discharging ours, we shall best manifest 
gratitude to them, and zealous affection for our country. 



i 



NOTES. 



[Note A.] 

Nearly opposite the spot where are deposited the remains of 
Gen. Foster, rest also those of Maj. Sylvester Osborn, one of 
the last survivors of those who were present at the fight in Lex- 
ington, and whose decease took place a few months only before 
that of Gen. Foster. 

In the eastern part of Harmony Grove, Capt. Jesse Smith of 
Salem, long known as one of the body guard of Washington, and 
supposed to have been the last survivor, was recently buried. 
His remains were attended to the grave by the same mihtary 
honors as those now paid to those of Gen. Foster, and the citi- 
zens of Salem have taken measures to erect an appropriate mon- 
ument to his memory. 

[B.] 

Gideon Foster's father Gideon, was born in Boxford, IMass., 
in 1709, he died in Danvers, 1771 ; his mother Lydia Gold- 
thwait, was born in Danvers, 1710, she died in 1772. His on- 
ly brother Benjamin Foster D. D.,was graduated at Yale Col- 
lege ; he studied divinity with Rev. Dr. StUlman, and gathered 
the first Baptist Church m this town. He was afterwards set- 
tled in New York city, where he was highly esteemed: "he was 
learned in the languages," and died in 1798, sacrificing his life 
by his devotion to his flock, in the fatal fever which prevailed 
there at that time. 

[C] 

The following Address, exhibits very clearly the high estima- 
tion with Avliich om' military was regarded by Gen. Foster, and 
was delivered by him on the occasion of the presentation of a 
standard to the Lynn Rifle corps, under the command of Capt. 
Ingalls. On this occasion, several other aged veterans of the 
Revolution were present. 
Soldiers, 

It is with great pleasure that I meet a company which by its 
disciphne, handsome appearance and public spirit reflects so much 
credit on the enterprising and prosperous town of Lynn. I am 



14 NOTES. 

* 

grateful for tlie lionor you have done me in selecting me to make 
the presentation of this noAv and beautiful Banner ; such marks 
of respect are peculiarly flattering to the aged ; but I am not so 
vain as to suppose that you have discovered any extraordinary ex- 
cellence in my character or worth m my services. In my early 
life it was my good fortime to be associated with the patriots who 
achieved our national Independence ; I contrilsutcd wilHngly, nay 
cheerfully, my humble services, and I now look Ijack upon those 
days and those services as the happiest and best employed of my 
long life. 

My comiection with the heroes of the Revolutionary straggle 
is the cause of my being in-\dted to perform this pleasant, and to 
me, mterestmg service. The vrords inscribed on your Baimer, 
"Lexington, Bunker Hill, Liberty," — they are no empty sound, 
no unmeaning words — they contain a charm which has power to 
break the rod of the oppressor, to dissolve the chams of the despot. 

Great respect is professed and felt for the heroes and sages of 
the Revolution, but in no way can you better manifest your admi- 
ration for theu' character, and your gratitude for theii- services, 
than by cherishing the noble spirit of patriotism which actuated 
them, by imitating their virtues, and by preservmg and transmit- 
ting to yom^ posterity the invaluable heritage which your fathers 
have bequeathed to you. 

Soldiers, Avhenever this Banner is unfurled to you, may it re- 
muid you of the labors and sacrifices, of the battles and victories of 
the patriots of the Revolution ; in times of peaceful parade and 
festive enjoyment, may it remmd you of their temperance and 
moderation ; in times of war and threatened mvasion, may it re- 
mmd you of their valor and prowess. On all occasions when its 
proud device is presented to your -view, may this Banner remind 
you of their devotion to their comitry, their love of order and of 
liberty, and their confidence in a superintenduig pro\idence ; and 
may it remind you of the duties and trusts that devolve upon you 
as citizens and soldiers. The times in which you five and the oc- 
casions on which you may be called to take the field, are mdeed 
different, very different from those m wliich the heroes of the Rev- 
olution gamed for themselves a lasting reno-uii, and for you a well 
estabhshed independence. But you may be called to render ser- 
vices almost as valuable and to exercise wtues almost as noble. 
They fought for hberty and for the estabhshment of -wise and equal 
laws ; it is your part to assert, mamtam and defend that hberty 
and those laws ; they planted the tree of Liberty ; it has struck 
deep its roots and spread wide its branches ; be it your care that 
this fan- tree shall never be despoiled, mutilated or overthrown. 

INIay not an old man and an old soldier who loves his country, 
indulge the hope that the members of the Lyim Rifle Corps have 



NOTES. 15 

resolved tliat the public order shall be preserved, that the la-\v3 
shall be respected, that the Constitution shall be maintained invio- 
late ? ]\Iay he not hope that the young men of America have re- 
solved that the prosperity and glory, the Union and Independence 
of these United States shall be perpetuated ? ISIay he not offer 
to Heaven a fervent prayer for its blessing on such holy resolu- 
tions ? May he not hope that his country -u-ill be still advancing 
in its proud and happy march — that it will long remain the admi- 
ration and example of the nations. 

Sir, I commit into your hands this fair Banner, hoping and be- 
lieving that it will never be disgraced by any excesses, nor dishon- 
ored by any cause of shame — hoping that it will always be trium- 
phant in a good cause, and that in no other it will ever be unfurled. 
This Barnier, now so bright and beautiful may become soiled by 
age — it may become tattered by long service, it may be blood- 
stained in battle, but may it never be deserted by those who 
should defend it ; may it never be sui'rendered into the hands 
of an enemy. 

To this address, Capt. Augustus B. Ingalls, Commander of 
the Corps made an eloquent and appropriate reply. 

Aug. 4, 1836. 

[D-] 
The followuig is the address of Gen. Gideon Foster, at the 
Layuig of the Corner Stone of a monument, in memory of the 
seven citizens of Danvers, who fell at the Battle of Lexuigion. 
Friends and fellow citizens : 

On that ever memorable 19th day of April, 1775, now sixty 
years past, it was my fortune, to meet in this place with num- 
bers of my felloAV citizens, to defend the rights and liberties of 
my Country. The alarm of war was somided. The enemy 
was then amongst us. The first blood of Americans was then 
shed. On the plains of Lexington the roar of arms was then 
sounding, — the strife of war was then raging. 

On that morning, more ; than one hundred of my toAvnsmen 
hastened to the field of battle, — unused to the artifices of war — 
misldlled in the arts of slayuig their fellow men — their hearts 
were flowing with zeal in their Cou)itry's cause, and ready to 
offer their lives on the altar of their liberties. Seven of those 
who thus started in the prime of life and ngor of manliood, ere 
that day's Sun descended m the west, were numbered with the 
dead. Many others have marks of the well dii'ccted fii'e of the 
enemy. 

To perpetuate the memory of those who then offered their 
lives for their Country's good ; to pei*petuate the principles with 



16 NOTES. 

which they were actuated, is the purpose of tliis day's meeting, 
— is the purpose of the monument, the foundation of which has 
now been laid. May this purpose be attained : — may these 
principles be remembered, and made the rule of action, in all 
coming time ; — and may the names which are here recorded en- 
dure, until the granite of our own hills shall be crumbled m the 
dust. 

I was then 26 years of age. About ten days before, I had 
been chosen to command a company of minute-men, who were 
at all times to be in readiness at a moment's warning. They 
were so ready. They all assembled on the very spot where we 
are this day assembled : — they all went ; and in about four hours 
from the time of meeting, they travelled on foot (full half the 
way upon the run) sixteen miles, and saluted the enemy. This 
they did most effectually, — as the records of that day most clear- 
ly prove. -^ I discharged my musket at the enemy a number of 
times (I think eleven,) with two balls each time, and with well 
du-ected aim. My comrade (Mr. Cleaves of Beverly) who was 
then standing by my side, had liis finger and ranu'od cut away 
by a shot from the enemy. 

Whether my shots took effect,! I cannot say ; but this I can 
say, if they did not, it v>-as not for the want of determined pur- 
pose, in him who sent them. Of those under my immediate 
command, there is no one left ahvc. Three of them were slain 
on that day — I alone remain to tell their story. I, a tottering 
old man, through the goodness of God, am still permitted to be 
here. I am permitted to see this day's ascending sun, and to 
witness these ceremonies. I can truly say it is one of the hap- 
piest days, and most pleasing events of my life. A few more 
days at most, and perhaps very few, and I also, shall be number- 
ed Avith the dead. 

But while I see the spirit that moved the Patriots of '76, 
bright and vigorous in the breasts of their descendants, — While 
I see the rights of my fellow citizens maintained, and the Con- 
stitution of my Comitry defended — I can say with Simeon of 
old, now Lord, lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine 
eyes have seen the salvation of My Country. 

*"The greatest slaughter of the British took place, it is said, while they were on 
the retrosade, sweating with toil and blood, for three or lour miles through the 
woody defiles in Lincoln and the upper part of Lexington, and aijain when their 
flanking parties were intercepted in Cambridge by one or two companies from Dan- 
\eis.''— Extract from a Com. enlitled "Lexington and the \^ih April 17:5'' — repub- 
lished in the Boston Neios Letter. 

t Some idea of the effect of these eleven discharjres may be formed when the 
reader is informed that Gen. F. was a skillful gunner ; so accurate were his shots 
that it was a standing rule, at the the shooting matches, that he should not fire his 
own gun. In speaking of killing six wild ducks at one discharge, on a certain oc- 
casion, " and Lib.-' said he. " brought them all ashore ;'' "Lib., who was Lib.?" was 
asked : ''Why, don't you know7 my dog, Liberty." 



NOTES. 17 



[E.] 

The following is n summary account of tlic celebration, with 
the name.^ of the committee of arrangements, building com- 
mittee, &c. 

On Monday, April 20, 183r>, the GOth anniversary of the 
battle of Lexington was celebrated at Danvers, by tlie laying 
of the Corner Stone of a monument in memory of the seven 
citizens of that town, who were slain in that battle. At 10 
o'clock, a procession of revolutionary patriots, and citizens of 
Danvers and vicinity, was formed m the square fronting the Old 
South Meeting House, under the direction of the marshals of 
the day — escorted by the Danvers Light Infantry, under Capt, 
William Su.tton, and the Danvers Artillery, Capt. A. Pratt, -snth 
a full band of music — and proceeded through Main street to 
the burial ground, where lie the remams of several of the slain ; 
— three volleys of musketry were fired over their graves : — the 
procession then countermarched to the Eagle Corner, where the 
monument is to be erected. The order of services was then 
announced by John W. Proctor, Esq. Rev. Mr. Sewall oifered 
prayers — Gen. Foster, with the surviving officers and soldiers of 
the Revolution, proceeded to place the Corner Stone, in which 
was deposited a box, containing the memorials of the times, &c. 
Oen. Foster then addressed his fellow citizens. After the 
Corner Stone was laid, the tune of Auld Lang Syne was per- 
formed by the Band, and the procession then marched, under a 
salute of 24 guns from the artillery, and the rmging of the bells, 
to the Old South Church — where, sixty years before, religious 
services were held at the interment of four of the young men 
who were slain at Lexington. This spacious Church was crowd- 
ed in every part, and hundreds were miable to gain admittance. 
The following was the order of services: — 1. 100th Psalm — 
tunc, Denmark. 2. Ilymn, by R. S. Daniels. 3. Prayer, by 
Rev. Geo. Cowles. 4. Hymn, by F. Pool, jan. 6. Addi-ess, 
by D. P. King, Esq. 6. Patriotic Ode, by Jona. Shove. 7. 
Concluding Prayer, by Rev. J. M. Austin. At the close of the 
services at the church, J. W. Proctor, Esq. presented and read 
to the audience the oriinnal, honorable discharoie of J. B. Win- 
Chester, Esf[. from the revolutionary army, (ha\dng served six 
years and four months, till the close of the war,) bearing the 
onginal signature of " Gfeorge Washtngfony Mr. Winches- 
ter entered the contmental amiy at the age of 14 ; and when 
discharged, he was only 21 years of age. Nineteen survivors 
of the Lexington fight and of tlio revolutionary army, (who oc- 
• 3 



18 NOTES, 

oupiod a number of the pews in front of the' pulpit,) greatly 
heiglitened the interest of the occasion by tlieii* appearance. 
After the services at the church, a procession was formed, and 
escorted by the Danvers Light Infantry to the Essex Coffee 
House, where about two hundred, includmg the above officers 
and soldiere of the revolution, partook of a collation, prepared 
by Mr. Benja. Goodridgc. At the close of the collation, several 
patriotic sentiments and toasts were given by the revolutionary 
patriots and the company present. 

The occasion will long be remembered, — as calculated to 
deepen oui- feelmgs of veneration for the events commemorated 
— for the exercise of generous feelings m the discharge of an 
honor due to the glorious dead, — and the ceremonies of the day 
will remuid us of our obligations to those who spUled their blood 
in the first offcrmg at the shiine of Liberty. 

Committee of Arrangements — Jona. Shove, chairman ; Robert 
S. Daniels, Geo. Osborne, Caleb Lowe, Fitch Pool, jmi., Henry 
Poor, Nathan Lakeman, Joshua H. Ward. 

Building Committee — Eben Sutton, Augustus K. Osborne, 
Daniel P. Kmg, Eben Shillaber, Jolm Whitney. 

Projector of the 3fo7iument — ^Jolmi Upton. 

Architect — Asher Benjamin. 

Marshals — Col. Caleb Lowe, chief marshal ; Alfred Putnam, 
Eben Sutton, Hiram Preston, Bcnj. Wheeler, Wm. D. Joplhi, 
Richard Osborne, Samuel P. Fowler, Jona. King, Elijah W. 
Upton. 

Tlierc were twenty-nine mdividuals, — survivors of the Lexing- 
ton fight and of the revolutionary army, invited to attend this 
celebration, — ^nineteen of whom were present. The following 
arc the names : — 

Of Danvers — Gideon Foster, Sylvester Osbomc, Johnson 
Proctor, Levi Preston, Asa Tapley, Roger Nourse, Joseph Shaw, 
John Joscelyn, Ej)hi'aim Smith, Jonathan Porter, Joseph Tufts, 
William Flint. 

Of Salem — John Howard, Jesse Smith, Jacob B. Winches- 
ter, Eben Symonds, Charles Richardson, Nathaniel West, Wil- 
liam Silver, Elijah Pcrldns, Fisk. 

Of Lynnfield — Thomas Emerson, Eben Hart, Daniel Need- 
ham, John Upton, Oliver Walton, Ebenczer Parsons. 

Of Amos Peabody, (who was a soldier under Arnold at 

West Pomt.) 



NOTES. 19 



[F.] 

Gen. FuSTER was burled in that beautiful part of Harmony 
Grove, near the intersection of Mai^nolia Path with Sylvan Ave- 
nue. It is on the brow of the hill, in full view from the west- 
ern, or Danvers entrance to the Cemeter}'', and is a conspicuous 
place for a moniunent, wliich we hope the friendly and patriotic 
feehn.i^s of of his townsmen Avill soon cause to be erected over his 
remains. This lot was presented to the family of the deceased 
by Gen. William Sutton. 



i 



APPENDIX. 



The fii-st occasion on which General Foster with liis company 
faced the enemy, was in Salem, at the defeat of General Leslie ; 
and as the details of this ever memorable incident possess much 
of interest, it may riot be thought inappropriate to insert here a 
short accoimt, preserved m that Valuable work, the American 
Arcliivcs : — 

Salem, Feb. 28th, 1775. 

Last Sabbath, the 2Gthmst., the peace of the town was dis- 
turbed by the lauduig of a regiment of the king's troops, the 
particulars relative to wliich arc as follows : 

A transport arrived at MurbleJwad, apparently manned as 
usual. Between two and three o'clock, as soon as the people 
had gone to meeting) the decks were covered with soldiers, who 
having loaded, and fixed their bayonets, landed with great des- 
patch, and instantly marched off. Some of the inhabitants sus- 
pecting they Avere bound to Salem, to seize some materials there 
preparing for an artillery, despatched several messengers to in- 
form us of it. These materials Avere on the north side of the 
North River, and to come at them it was necessiy to cross a 
bi-idge, one part of which was made to draw up to let vessels 
pass. The inhabitants kept a look out for the appearance of the 
troops. The van guard arrived, and took theu- route down 
town as far as the Long Wharf, perhaps to decoy the uiliabi- 
tants thither, away from the place to Avliich the main body was 
destined. The main body arrived soon after, and halted a few 
minutes by the Town House. It is said that mquiry was imme- 
diately made by some of the officers for a half brother of Col. 
Browne the Mandamus Counsellor. Be this as it may, he was 
seen whispering in the Colonel's ear, in the front of the regiment, 
and when he parted from the Col. the regiment marched with a 
quick pace towards tlie North Bridge ; just before entering upon 
which the bridge was pulled up. The regiment however push- 
ed on till they came to the bridge, not observing (as it seemed) 
that it was drawn up. The Col. expressed some surprise : and 
tumuig about, ordered an officer to face his company to a body 



22 ' APPENDIX. 

of men standing on a wliarf on the otlier side of the draw bridge 
and to fire. One of our townsmen (who had kept along side of 
the Col. from the time he marched from his own house) toldhun 
he had l)etter not fire ; tliat he had no right to fire without fm-- 
ther orders, and if you do fire (said he) you will be all dead 
men. The company neither faced nor fired. The Colonel re- 
tired to the centre of his re^ncnt, assembled his oflRcers and 
held a consultation ; Avhich beuig ended he advanced a little, and 
declared he would maintain his ground, and go over the bridge 
if it was a month first. The same townsman replied, he might 
stay there as long as he pleased no one cared for that. The 
half brother before mentioned, (it is said) made toAvards the 
bridge, but seeing the draw bridge up said "it is all over with us." 

He has since disappeared, meanwliilc twd large gondolas that 
lay agi-ound (tor it -was low wxiter) were scuttled, lest they should 
cross the channel in them. But whilst one gentleman was scut- 
ling his own gondola, a party of about twenty soldiers jumped 
into it, and Avith their bayonets charged against oiu- miarmed 
toAvnsraen, (some of whom they pricked) compelled them to quit 
it ; but before this a sufficient hole Avas made in the bottom. 
This attack of the soldiers, and some other occurrences occasion- 
ed a httle bickermg, but by the mtcrposition of some of the in- 
habitants, the disjiutes subsided. At length some gentleman ask- 
ed the Colonel \vhat Avas his design in making this movement, 
and Avhy he would cross the bridge ? He said, I have orders to 
cross it, and he Avould cross it if he lost liis life Avith the lives of 
all his men ; and asked, why the king's highway Avas obstruct- 
ed ? He Avas told it was not the king's road, but tlie property 
of the inhabitants, avIio bad a right to do Avhat they [)leased Avith 
it. Finally tlic Col. said he must go over, and if the bridge Avas 
let doAvn so as he might pass, he pledged his honor he Avould not 
march above thirty rods beyond it, and then immediately return. 

The regiment had now been at the bridge about an hour and a 
half; and everything being secvu'ed, tlic inlial»itants directed the 
bridge might ])e let down. The regiment immediately passed 
over, marched a few rods, returned, and Avitli great expedition 
Avent back to MarUchead, Avhere they Avent on board the trans- 
port Avithout delay. 

When all the circumstances are considered, there' can remain 
no doubt that the solo purpose of this manoouvrc Avas to steal away 
the artillery materials. 

It is regretted that an officer of Col. LesUe''s acknoAvledged 
worth, should be obliged, in obedience to his orders, to come upon 
so pitiful an errand. Various reports Avere spread abroad respect- 
ing the troops ; the country Avas alarmed, and one company arrived 
in arms from Dan vers, just as the troops left the town. We im- 



APPENDIX. 



mediately desjiatchcil niessengeris to the nei<i;hl)<ii'iii'f; toAviis to save 
them the trouble of coming in ; but the alarm tie w like lightning 
(and some, doubtless, magnified tlic first simple reports) so that 
great numbers were in arms, and some on their march, before our 
messengers arrived. 



The following is a. copy of a letter written by Gen. Gideon 
Foster, m reply to an invitation to visit Concord at the cele- 
bration on the 4th of July, 1840. 

Danvers, July 2d, 1840. 

Dear Sir : — Your kind favor in behalf of the committee of 
aiTangements for the Harrison jubilee, to be held at Concord, on 
the 4th instant, has awakened m my breast the liveliest emotions 
of gTatitudc to my fellow citizens for then* respectful attention ; 
— and the most interesting remembrances of the events of April 
19th, '75. The first impulse of my mind was, to revisit those 
scenes, where so many of my brave companions bled in defence 
of their rights ; and to witness with my o^vn eyes, the equally 
determined spiiit of my fellow citizens of JNliddlesex, in defence 
of their rights at the present time. I most heartily sympathize 
with you. I feel that our burdens are too grievous to be borne. 
I feel that our rulei"S have most lamentably departed from the 
precepts of their fathei'S. They have substituted their own r/aln 
for their country^ s good, — selfiahnem for iKiiriothm ; — they 
must be put down — and I confidently believe, through the power 
of an overruling providence, that the present year will record 
this glonous event. If my life is spared, I will add another to 
the ballots m favor of true whig principles, the present year, by 
voting for Harrison and Tyler — never yet having omitted to 
give my vote for the same principles, since the cstabhshment of 
our constitution. 

But, gentlemen, tlie infirmities of more than ninety-one years 
now remind mc of the hazard of undertaking a journey of more 
i\vA\\ ffty miles, at this warm season of the year, which, together 
with the advice of my friends, whose better opinions I am bound 
to regard, compel me to deny myself the pleasure of accepting 
your kind invitation. Although not pei-sonally present, my best 
A>ishes will be with you ; — and may the seed sown on the com- 



24 APPENDIX. 

m^ fourtli of Jvily at Concord, ripen into a puccessful liaiTcst on 
the second Monday of Noveml>er next, throughout the good 
county of jNIiddlesex. 

With the highest respect, 

Youi- friend and fellow laborer, 

GIDEON POSTER. 

To Daniel Shattuck, Esq., Chairman of Committee of Ar- 
rangements at Concord, Mass. 



Remarks of Gen. Gideon Foster, on visiting Bunker Hill, 
June 17th, 1843. 

[From liis manuscript copy.] 

By the merciful kindness of that overraling providence which 
has preserved my life and health for more than ninety-four years ^ 
I am able to meet my friends and fellow countrymen on this in- 
teresting occasion. I thank God that it is so. When I look 
aromid, and see how feiVy very few remain of those who were 
here with me sixty-eU^it years ago, I am most forcibly reminded 
of the improbability of our ever meeting again. 

My part in the events of the ever memorable 17th of June, 
1775, was a Immble one — but such as it was, it has ever been to 
me a source of high satisfaction, that it was in my power to con- 
tribute my mite in the service of my country at that time. On 
that day the seeds of civil lil;)crty, maintained by the blood 'of 
Imndrcds of freemen, received an impulse that made their growth 
perpetual in this western hemisphere. 

Excited as I then was with an ardent love of liberty, — pro- 
voked as I then was Avith the Avorse than savage cruelties that I 
myself had witnessed, but a few months before on the plains of 
Lexington, I lost no time in seeking an opportmiity to save my 
country. I received a commission as captain in Col. ]\Iansfield's 
regiment, and by the express orders of Gen. Ward, the then 
commander-in-chief of the American forces about Cambridge, I 
was occupied Avith my men, in transporting and dehvering 
powder and balls to be used on the hill. We took the ammmii- 
tion in casks, and conveyed it in wagons, and delivered it freely 
with our hands and our dippers, to their Iwrns, their poekets. 
their hats, and Avhate\'cr else they had that would hold it. T well 



APPENDIX. 2b 

remember the blackened appearance of those busy in this Avork, 
— not unUke those engaged in the dehvery of coal on a hot sum- 
mer's day. At the same time we were thus occupied, the ene- 
my's shot were constantly wliisthng by ; but we had no time to 
examine their character or dimensions. I have often thought 
what might have been our condition, had one of these hot shot 
unceremoniously come in contact witli our wagons. 

JN'Iany have been the changes our country has ' experienced 
since that day. From a little one, w'e have become a thousand, 
— from a small one, we have become a great people. We, who 
struggled in her infancy, have witnessed the strength and \dgor of 
her maturity ; — so that no fear need now be had of any foreign 
foe. While the wisdom and integrity that characterized the pat- 
riots of '76 shall be deemed qualities essential in the character of 
those who rule over us, no power on earth can prevail against us. 
I thank my God, that I have been permitted to see this glorious 
day, on this consecrated spot. Dedicated to liberty, may it ever 
be surrounded by sons, worthy as those who have offered them- 
selves as the first sacrifice at her altar. 



The house in Danvers, a stately mansion, which was occupied 
by the last British governor of Massachusetts, is now owned and 
occupied by a descendant of the last Dutch governor of New 
York, Rov. P. S. Tenbroeck, the grandson of Gen. Abraham 
Tenbroeck, who filled a conspicuous and honorable place in the 
northern campaign of 1777. 

The following anecdotes are from Col. Perley Putnam, whose 
father was wounded and his uncle killed, in the battle of 
Lexington. 

Near the encampment was a large oak tree, afterwards known 
as king George's whipping post. \Mien the frigate Essex was 
built in Salem, this tree was felled ; and on hewing the timber 
the iron staple, to which tlie soldiers had been confined for pun- 
ishment, was found imbedded in the wood. King George's 
whippmg post was converted into the stern post of the Essex 
frigate. 

The house which Gen. Gage occupied was much ornamented, 
and is still a stately edifice for this part of the co\mtry. In its 
front were heavy posts omamented with large balls or spheres, 
which were sheatlied wltli lead. As a party of our counti-ymen 
were going to join the patriot army, the tempting sight of the 
4 



26 



APPENDIX. 



lead made tliem forget private rights and they began to strip the 
spheres. The OAVTier of the mansion was supposed to be in the 
British interest — he came to the door, called them rebels and 
knaves, and, as was natural, used strong and plain language. 
One man pomted his musket towards him and fired, and the 
mark of the bullet still remains in the door by which he was 
standing. 

It has been said that the British soldiers who were encamped 
in Danvers were concerned for their personal safety — that they 
were apprehensive the people would attack them, and that a 
portion of them went off suddenly and in the night. The fol- 
lowing extract from the Essex Gazette of August 23d, 1774, 
makes the tradition more probable : — " Part of the 64th re^- 
ment encamped near the Governor's, we hear, were under armis 
all last Friday night." 



tst Company of Militia. 
Samuel Flmt, Captain ; 
Daniel Putnam, 1st Lieut ; 
Joseph Putnam, 2d do ; 
Asa Prince, Ensign. 

2d Coynpany of Militia. 
Samuel Eppes, Captam ; 
Benjamin Jacobs, 1st Lieut ; 
John Endicott, 2d do ; 
Francis Simonds, Ensign. 



Zd Company of Militia. 

Jeremiah Page, Captain ; 
Enoch Putnam, 1st Lieut ; 
William To-\\'ne, 2d do ; 
Joseph Porter, Ensign. 

3Enute Men. 
Gideon Foster, Commander. 
Israel Hutchinson, Com'd'r. 



Denison Willis was taken prisoner ; the British soldiers were 
so much enraged by the severe treatment which they were re- 
ceiving from our marksmen that the officers could not prevent 
them from killing the prisoners ; finding that this must be his 
fate, he attempted to make his escape ; the enemy fired upon 
him, and he received twelve wounds ; he fell as he was leaping 



I 



APPENDIX, 27 

a wall, and they supposing him dead, left him. Nathan Putnam, 
a brother of Perley, who Avas killed, was severely wounded in 
the shoulder, lie, as Avell as Henry Putnam, of Medford, who 
was killed on the same memorable day, were relatives of Gen. 
Israel Putnam, so celebrated for his corn-age and for liis services 
in the French, Indian and revolutionary wars. Gen. Putnam 
was a native of Danvers. 

Daland and Southwick left families. The ages of those who 
were killed, belonging to Danvers, follow : — 

Samuel Cook, 33 years. Jotham Webb, 22 years. 

Benj. Daland, 25 " Henry Jaco))s, 22 " 

Geo. Southwick, 25 " Eben'r Goldthwait, 22 « 

Perley Putnam, 21 " 



Capt. Flint and three other captains, were returned as drafted 
for the same company ; they had only twenty-four hours to pre- 
pare for their march to New York ; they met at Leach's tavern 
and chose Samuel Fhnt, commander; the other captains filled 
the subordinate offices. Capt. F. and his first lieutenant, Her- 
rick, of Beverly, were killed m the same battle. Capt. F. is 
supposed to have been the only officer belonging to Danvers 
slain in the Avar. His reply to an officer who proposed a place 
of meeting on the 19th April, was characteristic of the man and 
the times, " where the enemy is, there will you meet me." 

I have seen a manuscript book which giA^es the following ac- 
comit of captain, afterwards Col. Israel Hutchinson's services. 
In 1757, he Avas in the eastern country on a scouting party com- 
manded by Capt. Israel Herrick. In 1758, he Avas heutenant 
in Capt. Andi-ew Fuller's company ; he Avas at Lake George, and 
at the defeat of Ticonderoga with Gen. Abbercrombie. In 1759, 
he commanded a company of provmcials in Wolfe's army at the 
siege and capture of Quebec. In 1775, he commanded a com- 
pany of minute men in the battle of Lexington. Soon after he 
was appointed Lieut. Colonel in Col. Mansfield's regiment. 
Mansfield soon retired and left liim in command till the end of 
the term for Avhich the men had engaged. In the same year he 
enlisted for twelve months 832 men, which AA'as more than the 
complement for a full regiment. He returned to the siege of 
Boston, and on the evacuation by the British, he occupied Fort 



28 APPENDIX. 

Hill, and was ordered to fortify it. He remained in Boston, and 
on Dorchester Heights, till October — Avhen he was ordered to 
join the army in New York. The small ]tox being on board his 
vessel, Gen. Washington woidd not suffer a man to land ; he 
was then ordered to King's Bridge to take command of Fort 
Lee, — from which he was ordered over to Fort Washington to 
take command there and build and finish the same. Col. H. died 
in 1811. 



On the 17th of June, 1775, Capt. Gideon Foster was quarter- 
ed at Brighton, then called Little Cambridge. He Avas directed 
to repair to head quarters, (a house near the Colleges, now owned 
and occupied by Rev. Dr. Holmes,) where Gen. Ward in person 
ordered him to conduct a load of ammiition to Bunker Hill and 
distribute it among the brave men en2:ao;ed there. Gen. Ward 
told him there was no occasion for more men, but he was fearful 
their ammunition would fail. Capt. F. proceeded with all expe- 
dition toward the hill, and met the Americans on their retreat 
near Charlestown neck ; they had spent all then- poAvder, and he 
supplied them with it, loose from the casks. 

Col. Mansfield's regiment Avas stationed on Prospect Hill 
where Gen. Putnam commanded ; Capt. Foster belonged to this 
regiment. By orders from the general, all the captains were 
desu'ed to meet. It was stated to them that a secret and hazard- 
ous expedition Avas planned, and that it Avas desired that a captain 
should volunteer to take the command. After waiting a short 
time for older officers to volunteer, Capt. F. offered his services. 
Six or eight men were drafted from each company ; they Avere 
ordered to arm and equip themselves completely and to repair to 
Gen. Putnam's quarters. The bluff old general came out and 
rcAdewed them and commended their spirits and good appear- 
ance ; he ordered them to lay aside their arms and ecjuipments, 
to provide themselves Avith axes, and to go into a neighboring 
swamp and cut fascines, (brushwood bound up in the fashion of 
faggots,) and to bring them m upon their shoulders. The men 
expected to gain honor by their exposure to miknoAvn dangers : 
but their greatest danger Avas from the attack of the musquitos, 
and their greatest exposure Avas to the mirth of their fclloAV sol- 
diers. 



APPENDIX. 29 

In 1792, Gideon Foster was promoted from the office of Cap- 
tain to that of Colonel; in 1796, he was chosen Brigadier Gen- 
eral ; ui 1801, he was chosen ISIajor General, and received every 
vote in the House of Representatives, and there was but one 
dissentuig voice in the Senate. 



Extract from the Address of Rev. T. Sargent, at the ordina- 
tion of Mr. Frank P. Appleton, as pastor of the First Unitariau 
Church m Danvers : 

Within a few months some of the more aged and influential 
members of your church, those who had stood here as among its 
pillars, haxe fallen by the weight of years and gone by the way 
of death, through the gate of shadows, and by the message of 
the Almighty which has called them to their rest. " Your 
fathers ! where are they ?" I look around here and they of the 
hoary heads whom I used to see with you in the late summer 
days, bendmg reverently in tliis sanctuary, are no longer A\ith 
you. They are gathered, fitly enough, witliui the last harvest 
months, hke "shocks of corn," mto the garner of that heavenly 
inheritance they have won. That memorable patriarch^ of yom* 
society who had numbered so many years, and who stood so 
nearly on the edge of a century, the revered veteran who leaned 
upon his staff so near tliis altar, and so constantly, even after his 
hearing had failed, — the aged sii-e who stood so like the moss- 
grown monument of the past, — that wondrous old admonition of 
yom* duty m the sanctuary, has gone. His ear was not so keen 
as yours, young men, to take ui the word of God from his spoken 
or written oracles in this place ; but you are happy indeed, if 
you bring to this place of prayer as keen a faith, as willing a 
spirit of obedience and trnth, or as constant a reverence for the 
sanctuary and its objects as he did. That familiar forai, so bent 
•with age, had seen the day when it stood erect enough in defence 
of our liberties ; and that old hand of his, now mingling with 
the dust of this land for whose freedom he contended, took fast 
and faithful hold of the horns of this altar even to his latter 
days. Yes I — It may not be forgotten either hj you or by any 
of us, that " the sword of the spirit" was firm in the grasp of 

* Deacon Gideon Foster, who died Nov. 1st, 1S45, aged S7. 



30 APPENDIX. 

that old man even to the last, and long after he had laid aside 
" the sword of Gideon" which he bore once to yonder heights, 
in the fear of God and in behalf of human rights. But he has 
gone. 



Gen. Gideon Foster retained a remarkable degi'ee of vigor 
both of body and mind most of the time during the three last 
years of his life. In each of these years he mowed, more or 
less, chopped wood, and managed personally all his pecuniary 
transactions, and other matters incumbent on the overseer of a 
small fanning estabhshment. He was never idle, and when at 
work, even iiji cold weather, would often throw off his coat, and 
expose himself as much to the effects of cold as the hardiest 
la])orers were wont to do. Whenever, from much exposui*e or 
other causes, he became indisposed, his mind suffered apparently 
more than his body — ^from febrile symptoms and a mild insanity 
or delerium. From several such attacks of disease within the 
time above mentiontioned, he recovered. But on the last week 
in (October, after working an hour or two with his coat off, one 
day rather cold and micomfortable for the season, he began to 
complain of a catarrh affection — with which he kept about, doing 
his chores, for two or three days, duiing which some mental abber- 
rations were noticed, especially at night, Avhen his strength be- 
came so prostrated that he could not rise from his bed. 

Enervation, prostration of strength, etc., which accompany 
as constitutional symptoms, the complaint of which many old 
people die, called bastard penpneumony, (although in this case 
the catarrahal affection was neither suffocating or severe), grad- 
ually increased upon him. Fever and hard working delerium 
closed the scene on the morning of Nov. 1, 1845. 

ANDREW NICHOLS, Attending Physician. 



The news of Gen. Foster's death came upon our citizens when 
they were wholly miprepared to expect it, and spread a gloom 
over the whole town. Flags were displayed at half mast, and a 
spontaneous meeting of the people was held to consider the proper 



APPENDIX. 31 

means of testifying the public respect to his memory. A com- 
mittee was then appointed to consult the friends of the deceased 
and make arrangements for the funeral. The following were the 
proceedings of the meeting. 

At a voluntary meeting of the citizens of Danvers, held at 
the Town Rooms, on that day, to see what arrangements should 
be made in relation to the funeral of Gen. Gideon Foster, 

Dr. Andrew Nichols was chosen Chairman, and Fitch 
Poole, Secretary. 

It was Voted, That a committee of three be chosen to report 
resolutions, expressive of the feehngs of the citizens of Danvers 
on the death of Gen. Foster. 

Dr. A. Nichols, John W. Proctor, and W. D. Northend were 
accordingly chosen, who reported the following resolutions : — 

Resolved, That we have heard with deep regret, the death of 
our fellow citizen, the venerable Gen. Gideon Foster, in the 
97th year of his age, and that we feel it to be a duty due to his 
distinguished life and virtues, publicly to notice this event. 

Resolved, That a committee of nine citizens be appointed to 
make the necessary arrangements for Ms funeral, at such time as 
may be agreeable t# his family. 

The resolutions were unanimously adopted, and the following 
persons chosen as the committee, viz : — 

John W. Proctor, Gen. Wm. Sutton, Robert S. Daniels, Fitch 
Poole, EUjah W. Upton, Henry Fowler, Daniel P. King, George 
Osborne, Caleb Lowe. 

It was then Voted, That Gen. Sutton be requested to provide 
a military escort for the procession. 

Agi-ceablc to these arrangements, the body was brought to the 
Unitarian Church on Monday, where the solemn funeral services 
were perfonncd. After a voluntary on the Organ, prayer was 
offered by Rev. Dr. Flint of Salem, followed by a funeral hymn 
by the the chou*. An eulogy was then dehvered by Hon. Daniel 
P. King, which was Ustcned to with deep and solemn attention 
by a very large audience. The exercises closed by a prayer, 
offered by Rev. Mr. Field, and a funeral anthem by the choir. 
The eulogy was an eloquent and just tribute to the character and 
services of the deceased, accompanied with such considerations 



32 APPENDIX. 

and appeals as were well calculated to awaken feelings of patriot- 
ism and gratitude in the minds of the people. 

After the services at tlie church, the body was placed in the 
hearse, and the procession formed in the following order ; — 

ESCORT, 

consisting of the Salem Artillery, the Danvers Lisht Infantry, the Salem 
Light Infantry, and the Lynn Rifle Corps, (the latter bearing a banner 
presented by the hands of Gen. Foster to the company in 1836. 
This banner was shrouded in crape. The escort was a detach- 
ment from Gen, Sutton's brigade, and was under the im- 
mediate command of Colonel Andrews.) 

Hearse, flanked by a military guard, 

Family of the deceased, in carriages. 

Brig. Gen. Sutton and Staif, and ]\Iilitary Officers in uniform, in 

carriages. 

Committee of Arrangements, 

Officiating and other Clergy, 

Civil Officers of the town, 

Danvers Mechanic Institute, 

Fire Department, 

" Gen. Foster" Engine Co. No. 7, in dark dress with badges, 

" Volunteer" Engine Co. No. 8, with badg^ and in firemen's 

uniform, 

Citizens of the neighboring towns. 

Citizens of Danvers. 

The procession moved with slow and solemn steps to Harmony 

Grove Cemetery, and on arrival at the ground the mihtary formed 

a line, facing the gTave. The body was then lowered into the 

earth, and three volUes fired over the remains. Agreeably to 

military usage, the troops formed again in column and marched 

off at a quick pace, the band playing a quick step. The bells 

ceased tolling, and the flags, which had been hanging at half 

mast since the tune of Gen. Foster's death, were now raised to 

the peak, and the vast multitude who had assembled, notwith- 

standuig the mifavorable weather, departed to their homes. 



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